Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors for Type 2 Diabetes
These medicines do not cause low blood sugar or weight gain, which are common side effects of the sulfonylurea medicines and insulin.
Acarbose and miglitol may need to be taken 3 times a day, with each meal.
If you take one of these medicines along with another medicine that lowers blood sugar (such as insulin or a sulfonylurea medicine), your blood sugar level can drop very low. If your blood sugar level does drop too low, use glucose tablets—rather than other simple sugars such as fructose, lactose, or sucrose—to raise your blood sugar level. If you do not treat low blood sugar with glucose tablets, it may require more food to raise your blood sugar level than it would for a person who is not taking one of these medicines.
Children
Few studies have been done on the use of oral medicines for type 2 diabetes in children. And these medicines have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in children. But because these oral medicines are safe for adults, most doctors use them to treat children who have type 2 diabetes. Also, these medicines are not absorbed into the bloodstream, so they do not have systemic side effects.
But the increase in belly gas associated with their use makes them less desirable than other oral medicines for diabetes.
Complete the new medication information form (PDF) 
(What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: June 9, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Matthew I. Kim, MD - Endocrinology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Care Finder
